Take Your Precautions!
By Amber
@AmbiePam (94045)
United States
May 29, 2011 5:55pm CST
What is it where you live? Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...? Here in Oklahoma we learn how to take precautions in tornado weather. After the tornadoes this past month has bestowed upon Alabama, Missouri, and Oklahoma, I'm upping my precautions. I'm trying to get a helmet. Sound funny? Most of the ten who died in Oklahoma this past month in the tornado, died of head injuries. So I'm getting myself a helmet some time - hopefully soon.
Last week when I heard how bad the tornadoes would be I decided to do something I'd never done before. Go ask a neighbor on a floor below me to let me in (usually I ride it out in my closet). So when I heard the tornado siren I thought okay, you can either be too shy to do that, or you can take the chance you and Annabelle might die. So I put on a hat, sweatshirt (they advise you to put on long sleeves and pants), and started to go to the bottom floor of the apartments. Before I got to the bottom floor I ran into a lady on the second floor (I had no idea why she was standing outside in the hail that was coming down so hard.) She said the guy to whom I was going to ask if I could come in, had company over. So I asked her if I could come into her apartment (I knew her from around, but didn't know her name). She said sure. Well, when I walked in I found out why she was standing outside in the midst of a tornado warning. Her TV didn't work! So she was oblvious to how bad it was going to get.
Anyway, I'd like to hear about the precautions you are told to take in case of an emergency.
*The photo is of where I live.
8 people like this
20 responses
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
30 May 11
oh geesh, id be terrified to. whos annabelle? well at least you got to hang out down with a neighbor. 
good thing it didnt get you. i hope how soon all these things are over for your area. 
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
30 May 11
oh yuk. even though i smoke, i do it outside and try and keep it away from others that dont. 
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160996)
• United States
30 May 11
They tell us, over and over, to seek shelter in the lowest level of our house. Never heard about long sleeves and pants but it makes sense. We are encouraged to have weather radios with batteries. I even have a hand cranked flashlight. Helmet makes sense as well. They are really good about telling us what we need in our cars for winter road trips as well. Like a candle and a metal coffee can--you can heat an entire car with that. Year round we carry water. It pays to be prepared to survive.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (94045)
• United States
30 May 11
The flying debris is why they say the long sleeved shirts and pants, although I really don't know how much good that is going to do with how strong the wind is. They never really mention the weather radios here, although it would be a really good idea if they did.
@ElicBxn (63643)
• United States
30 May 11
Very scary. Austin has been very lucky, but I sure wouldn't take any chances if I lived in Oklahoma.
In fact, we debated staying at the roomie's aunt's farm because they had a tornado shelter. However, the storm totally missed us, so I think I did make the right choice to go back to the hotel.
2 people like this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
30 May 11
We have alot of tornadoes here too.....so I have an emergency kit...flash light..battery powered radio...two quilts down the basement..and some bottled water. I know how scary it is...I am glad you are not too shy to seek a better place to be in then your apartment...no sense being senseless!
2 people like this
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
30 May 11
Safety precautions here are more collective like getting evacuation areas ready and clearing the route in case of serious calamities. We are also instructed to just take whatever necessary stuff and not all so we can move fast; life is more important than things. As far as individuality is concerned, I always keep a pair of boots and a raincoat. That's about it.
2 people like this
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
30 May 11
Here in my state Florida we mostly get Hurricanes and Tornadoes. I use to go with my mom to my aunts house in Atlanta, Georiga. Since my mom is in a rehab center from her stroke in 2009 I would end up going to my grandmother's house if things got really bad since she lives in a brick house. I am sorry things have gotten really bad were you are at. I hope things get better .
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (94045)
• United States
30 May 11
Oh, we'll be fine. I feel for one family in particular, you might have read about it in a previous discussion of mine. The family that lost two little boys in the tornado. I feel so bad for them, but they are getting a lot of donations, so at least their financial worries will be minimal.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
30 May 11
Ironic you bring this up, because today while over at the neighbors we were talking about the tornadoes that hit south of us and they made a comment that even when grabbing onto something attached to the house like plumbing, isn't so safe because that can be taken up too. We were saying the only surest way to stay safe are storm cellars, something I'd like to have as I am seeing these storms getting too close to home..
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
30 May 11
You should find out, but a problem with the public ones is they may not allow pets, that is why I want my own..
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
31 May 11
We don't normally get those kinds of natural disasters. We've had a couple tornados in my lifetime.. actually we had one last week which did rip the roof off a house not far from here.. but nothing else major. I vaguely recall having an earthquake when I was a kid but we didn't feel it. We don't get hurricanes.. too far inland, but we get some nasty storms now and then due to hurricanes.
Mostly what we get is a ton of snow.. tons and tons and tons. Some of our neighboring cities can get 6-12 feet of snow at once.
I'm including a pic of our first real snowfall of this past winter.. we got a good 12-18 inches overnight. That's my daughter in the picture.. not sure what she's doing, I think she's trying to shake the snow off her glove or something. It was still snowing pretty hard so the pics didn't come out so great.. but you get the idea.
It's not difficult to prepare ourselves for snow. We have tons of plows, we salt the roads so they aren't too slippery.. everyone owns a shovel or two or snowblowers. Actually around here most people love the snow because they can go snowmobiling!
1 person likes this
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
30 May 11
During a tornado warning our local tv stations broadcast the warning and precautions and are simultaneously sending it out over the radio. We are told we need a battery-operated radio, flashlights, pillows, blankets and the usual stuff in an emergency kit. The people who live in mobile homes are told to go to a shelter or somewhere they can be sheltered, just not to stay in the mobile home. Everyone else is told to go to the center of whatever building they are in and stay away from windows and doors and to protect everyone with covering blankets and pillows. There are some other instructions given as well.
We are also on a major earthquake danger fault and this area has regular civil defense drills. The next earthquake is overdue and could occur at any time. We're told the usual about getting under heavy furniture, doorways and such if we are inside. I've heard that ducking close to the floor next to a large object will also be advisable. However, if the walls are falling in, I'm gonna be bookin' it out of here.
Good that you and Annabelle are safe. Perhaps you should talk to the downstairs people and make prior arrangements for when there is another warning. I'm sure there are still threats to come. Tornado season is not over. Stay safe.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (94045)
• United States
30 May 11
I'm thinking about talking to a person who lives on the bottom level about it. For most of my life I lived in a one story home. So it was simple - get in the middle of the house. But for the past five years I have lived in this apartment complex. Until this past week I just took shelter on my own floor and hoped for the best.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
30 May 11
Hey my Sweet Sister Amber! I am so hoping that all went smoothly
and you are alright! I know that the weather has been literally
"hell on wheels" and unpredictable and crazy but, please just
try an keep you and Annabelle safe! Get that helmet and one
for the little girl too! If you need some help with donations,
please let me know and I'll do the best that I can~ Love ya, Les
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (94045)
• United States
30 May 11
Thanks, Leslie. I'm sure I can find an affordable helmet somewhere. My dad looked at me like I was nuts when I mentioned a helmet for Annabelle, but I told him I'd seen crazier things than helmets for a dog. At the very least I've seen helmets for babies. Odd sure, but handy!
@babyEj (1522)
• Philippines
31 May 11
We have typhoon that causes flood and earthquake. When we have upcoming calamity I always listen and read news for updates . I start my precaution by being aware so I can be well prepared of what I and my family facing.
I think awareness and being prepared with tools and kits will help us to survive in such conditions. 
happy mylottin! Don't forget to pray.
happy mylottin! Don't forget to pray.
@threebratsmommy (1)
• United States
31 May 11
I live in Washington... it would be a volcanic eruption, or earthquake. But I am from Oklahoma. The precautions that I took while I lived in Oklahoma was I always made sure to have a weather radio. I also always watched the weather channel or the news to see what was coming. Then I would look at the sky. I lived in apartment so I had the closet in my hallway all done up in case of an emergency. The weather radio was plugged in, but there were batteries in the closet, there were blankets, an extra mattress, bottled water, I had extra clothes in there as well. There were so many nights that I would sleep in the hallway ready to pounce into my closet of safety at a moments notice.
Here in Washington, the only precaution you can take is to make sure that we have extra bottles of water in case of an earthquake. As for the possibility of a volcanic eruption, we would just listen to the news and evacuate to family elsewhere out of harms way.
1 person likes this
@legondaryboy65 (7)
• Mexico
1 Jun 11
i fell sorry for you i now what it feels like my aunt lives in missouri and has seen what a tornado can do you now you can hide in a bath tube celler or closet if you fell safer in a celler and you dont have one the best idea is to go ask someone. if a tornado comes bye you need to get to a safe place right a way. wereing a helmet is smart it can help you and make sure you have a flash light whet you just in case.
1 person likes this
@mylesnarvaez (5451)
• Philippines
30 May 11
although we get 20-30 typhoons each year, very few ones actually pass thru my area and it isn't that strong to create damage as much as in other areas. for that we are fortunate that we don't get floods either when heavy rains continue for days on end during the rainy season.
we have several earthquakes and lots of volcanoes in the country. we have one near home, about half an hour's drive to the edge of the lake where the volcano island is. the last time it erupted was 36 years ago, and i haven't been conceived yet.
in case there would be floods, we have a second floor in our house. in case of earthquakes, we would go to the safest room in the house. if the volcano should erupt and we need to evacuate, we know only to pack the bare essentials and our brother who lives 5 minutes away will pick us up.
my sister's family experienced great flooding during a typhoon 2 years ago. they evacuated on higher grounds. what i wouldn't give to have a life boat at the time. i believe many lives would have been saved. so i asked my sister if they could have one as part of their emergency kit.
it's good to make precautionary measures. be safe always. 
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
30 May 11
Hi AmbiePam, I was told to stay clear of any windows, to get to the lowest part of the house - meaning the basement if you have one, get into the bathtub with as many blankets and pillows as you can and even a mattress to keep the debris from hitting you. The bathroom because of the pvc pipe that surrounds the room will protect you more than regular walls, have a case or so of water in bottles, a radio, flash light, extra batteries and a first aid kit. Always have sturdy clothes on such as jeans and a jacket or coat in case something were to hit you, you'll have some protection. And like you said, a helmet sure wouldn't hurt!
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
30 May 11
I don't often do any kind of preparation for emergencies. I know when I lived in NC, we had to worry about hurricanes all the time and there was plenty of warning to get ready for those. I didn't often have all the supplies they suggested in order to survive for any amount of time without power or water so I am glad things never got bad for me. I know that there are tornado alarms that go off around here, but I don't know which ones are real and which are drills. There was one recently that was a false alarm. I knew we were having some weather last Sunday when the tornado hit Joplin, but I didn't know that the tornado had happened until Tuesday when I went to the Red Cross to do some data entry and the computer was not available because they were using the phone next to it. Oh well... I really should take precautions, but for the most part, I just don't care. Have a great day!!!
1 person likes this
@free_man (7330)
• United States
30 May 11
Hi AmbiePam. They say to get out of mobile homes in case of a tornado. We have a trailer a house which isn't liveable and a garage. We go to the garage and clean out a safe corner of the garage and stay there with our two dogs. We leave the radio on and pray that if it is our time that God will forgive us of our sins. When you pass on out of this life you go straight to heaven and feel no more suffering. If it is my time to go I am not going to worry about it. I will take caution but I won't worry about anything I leave it all in Gods hands and HE will do what is best for me I am sure of this! If getting a helmet will make you feel safer by all means get you a helmet and tell anyone that laughs at you they can kiss where the sun don't shine.....LOL I like the photo of where you live but I would rather be the one on the bottom floor. Good luck and God bless you sweetie!
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
30 May 11
Sounds like you have a plan if something really bad happens and sounds like Annabelle will also be safe too. I have not experienced any tornado warnings here but have been told to make sure we were in the lowest floor of any building and or slip into the bathtub. Stay safe and hope nothing occurs with these bad storms.
1 person likes this
